


More Than a Weapon

by Flurrbee



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Renegotiated Sokovia Accords, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Identity Reveal, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-04-06 14:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19064902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flurrbee/pseuds/Flurrbee
Summary: The Rogue Avengers have returned and are eager to meet Tony’s new recruit. Things go badly when they learn that Spider-Man is a fifteen year old kid. Tony’s attempts to justify his decisions only make things worse and jeopardize his relationship with Peter.Inspired by Joe Russo’s statement in an interview that Tony “sees Spider-Man as the greatest living non-lethal weapon.”  What happens when Peter finds out what Tony really thinks of him?





	1. Chapter 1

The recently pardoned Avengers returned to the compound with mixed feelings of relief and anxiety.  Even after everything that had happened, the compound still felt like home. And It was, in many ways, good to be home.  

Still, they felt some anxiety about being back. They worried about the reception they would receive from Tony and from the SHIELD staff at the compound.  The team had come a long way in reconciling. The Accords had been revised and amended until all the Avengers agreed to them. Even so, there were sure to be some tense times ahead.  

However, Tony greeted them at the door, with a smile and a sincere “Welcome back”.  He was anxious as well, but genuinely happy to have the team back together.

The compound was a flurry of activity and people, much to the surprise of the returning Avengers.  Tony explained that SHIELD was rebuilding and the compound was now one of the organization’s main locations.  So there were SHIELD personnel on staff at all hours. As a result, the offices and labs had been expanded and redesigned.

Tony gave them a mini tour of the other changes in the facility after the latest remodel.  The mess hall had been redesigned to accommodate the larger onsite staff. The common lounge areas had new furniture and updated decor.

The training facility has always been a point of pride.  It was huge, with unique features designed specifically for the team. But it too had several undergone  changes. There was a new physical therapy space and equipment for Rhodes. The parkour course was expanded and now included a lot more aerial features. The pool had a new, taller high dive platform.  But the most shocking change was that the indoor track now included a lane that ran up the walls and across the ceiling.

“How does that work?” Sam asked, as they stared at the gravity-defying lane.

Tony chuckled, “That’s Spider-Man’s lane.  Wait until you see him run it.” His voice had a hint of pride.

Steve nodded. “The aerial additions to the parkour course and the new high dive - are those for Spider-Man too?”

“Yep,” Tony replied, popping the P.

“That’s a lot of changes for just one guy,” Natasha remarked.

Tony shrugged. “Lately he’s been the main person using the training spaces, so it just made sense to add things to challenge him.” The team couldn’t argue with that. “And I made some changes for Rhodey too,” Tony pointed out.

The group made their way to the living quarters, which were mostly unchanged except for new paint throughout, new carpet in the common areas, and updated appliances in the kitchen.  Their rooms had been left mostly untouched, although they had been dusted and vacuumed regularly.

“Where’s Spider-Man’s room?” Steve asked as they made their way down the hall.

“He’s in my wing.  I converted one of my guest rooms for him,” Tony answered.

“Why your wing?” Steve asked. “Why isn’t he with the team?”

“Originally, I planned to put him in the room next to Vision. But Vision and Rhodey weren’t here much of the time, so the place was rather empty.  Spider-Man’s young and it didn’t seem like a good idea to let him get too lonely. He’s good company for me, so it just made sense to have him into my wing.” Tony explained.  

“Where is he anyway? Is he here?” Sam asked.

“No,” Tony replied. “Spider-Man isn’t a full fledged Avenger. He’s got...family….in the City.  He lives there most of the time. He’ll be here this weekend. You’ll meet him then.”

Tony didn’t want to tell them too many details about the Kid before they had a chance to meet him. He was worried about how the team would react to Peter’s young age.

“A family?” Clint said to Natasha in a low voice. “Do you think he’s got a wife and kids too?” Natasha just shrugged.  They would find out soon. 

“What’s Spider-Man’s name?” Scott asked.  “I mean, his real name? We can’t just keep calling him Spider-Man.” 

Tony decided he could tell them that much. “It’s Peter. His name is Peter.”

—————

On Saturday morning, Steve went for an early run, then met Clint in the mess hall for breakfast.  The mess wasn’t crowded, but there were a fair number of SHIELD personnel there, having breakfast before starting their morning shift.  

They got through the breakfast line quickly, since nearly all the SHIELD staff insisted that the two Avengers cut in front of them.  There was a huge variety of breakfast foods and the two piled their plates then carried their trays to a somewhat secluded table in the corner.  

A teenager approached them, his tray piled high with food and several glasses of juice. He wore jeans and a science themed tee shirt, with an unzipped hoodie over it. 

“Hi, I’m...I’m Peter.”  The boy placed his tray on the table and held his hand out.  Steve smiled at him and shook it gently. Clint did the same. “Do you mind if I sit with you?” The teen asked.

The question startled them. It wasn’t common for the SHIELD staff members to bring their kids to the compound, but it happened from time to time. After all, working parents sometimes found themselves in a bind.  So a kid being there wasn’t completely unheard of. Usually parents gave their children strict orders to not bother the Avengers, but it appeared like this teenager had missed the message. 

“Uhm...sure...have a seat.” Steve said, too polite to deny the boy’s request.  Clint snickered a little. The boy smiled and sat down, then started arranging his several plates of food. 

“I’m Steve. This is Clint,” the super soldier said unnecessarily.  He gave the boy a wide smile. Everyone knew that Captain America was good with kids. 

“Are you getting settled in Ok?” Peter asked.  Tony had told him to be friendly with the returning team members, to make sure they felt welcomed. 

Steve thought it was an odd question to come from a random kid they just met. He and Clint exchanged amused glances. 

“We are. Thanks for asking.” Steve replied politely. 

Peter tasted his food and smiled. “The omelettes here are really good today. Make sure you get some.”  

The boy seemed familiar with eating in the facility’s mess hall.  “Do you come to the compound often?” Clint asked. 

Peter nodded. “As often as I can.  When I don’t have school or other stuff going on.”

Steve and Clint were both surprised that a staff member would bring their kid to the compound so frequently. 

They made small talk, asking Peter about his school. They learned he was fifteen, which he admitted a bit reluctantly,  land that his favorite subject was science. He told them about his academic decathlon team. Neither of the men were familiar with that, but seemed impressed when Peter told them about their competitions. The boy was well mannered, and although he seemed a little nervous, but had an unusual casualness about being around the Avengers. The two men were amazed at the amount of food the boy ate - it was even more than Steve. 

Peter looked at Clint. “You should bring your kids here sometime. There’s a pool and a gym and all kinds of stuff to do. They would have a great time.”

Clint was immediately alarmed. “How do you know about my kids?” His voice was low and dangerous. He still kept knowledge of his family a secret from most of SHIELD.  

Peter blinked and physically recoiled.  “Uhm….sorry. I...I d-didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to know.”

Clint had an angry glare and was about to interrogate the boy, but he was interrupted by Tony Stark entering the mess hall. 

“Spiderling! There you are. I was wondering where you wandered off to. We have a full schedule today.” The billionaire said playfully. He sat down in an empty chair next to the boy. 

“I was hungry, Mr. Stark.”  Peter told him with a sheepish smile. “And then I met Captain America and Hawkeye,” he added. 

“I see that,” Tony replied, nodding to his teammates. He looked at the many empty plates with a small laugh. “Did you get enough to eat?” He placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, the omelettes were great today.”  Peter smiled and nodded enthusiastically. 

“I’m glad you approve,” Tony said with amusement. 

Steve and Clint didn’t know what to make of this exchange. Sure Tony interacted with kids from time to time. They all did, signing autographs and posing for pictures.  This was different. Tony seemed to really know this kid. More significantly, Tony seemed to actually like him. 

“Spiderling?” Steve repeated the nickname in a shocked voice. “Are you Spider-Man’s kid?”  That would certainly explain the boy’s casual behavior around the superheroes and his familiarity with Tony. 

Clint looked doubtful. “I don’t think Spider-Man is old enough to have a teenage kid.” He pointed out. 

Tony looked at Peter, “You didn’t tell them?”

Peter looked confused. “I thought they knew. I thought you told them.”

“You said you were going to introduce yourself,” Tony countered. 

“I did,” the boy insisted. “I came over here and said, ‘Hi I’m Peter’ and asked if I could join them.” 

Steve suddenly remembered that Spider-Man’s name was Peter. He looked from the billionaire to the boy with a sense of dread. “You’re not Spider-Man’s kid.” Clint was frowning deeply, apparently having realized the same thing. 

“No,” Peter replied shyly. 

Tony gave a nervous laugh.  “No, he’s not Spider-Man’s kid.  He’s Spider-Man.” 

“What?” Steve said harshly.  He had already reached that conclusion, but hearing it out loud was still shocking. 

“That has to be a joke,” Clint said, after all this boy was barely older than his own son.  

“No joke,” Tony insisted.  “He’s Spider-Man.”

Steve stood abruptly. “FRIDAY. Call a team meeting.  Conference room. Five minutes.” 

Steve glared at Tony angrily.  

_ Oh yeah, this was going to be fun.  _  Tony thought. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team confronts Tony about Spider-Man being a kid. Tony says too much - and too little. Peter is devastated by what he hears.

Five minutes later, the conference room was full of Avengers.  Most of them had just woken up and were wondering why Steve had called such an early meeting.  Scott in particular grumbled about it, having not yet adjusted to the time difference between California and New York.

“So, Cap, do we have a mission already?” Sam asked once everyone was settled at the large conference table.

Steve shook his head. “No, there’s no mission.” The team visibly relaxed.  

“So what’s going on? What’s so important we needed to meet right away?” Natasha asked.

“Who’s the boy?” Wanda asked, staring at the teen sitting next to Tony.  

“This is Spider-Man,” Steve told the group, pointing at Peter. “He’s fifteen years old, which means he was fourteen a year ago in Germany.”

“He’s Spider-Man?” Scott asked in awe, remembering the fight. “But he’s a kid. I don’t believe it.”

“Surprise!” Peter answered with a sarcastic smile. “I’m Spider-Man.”

Sam scoffed. “Prove it,” he challenged.

Peter glanced at his mentor, who gave a slight nod.  Then he jumped up to ceiling and quickly flexed his wrist.  He shot out a web, securing Sam’s right hand to the table.

Sam swore under his breath, unable to free his hand. Peter flipped back down to his seat with a self satisfied smirk.

There were murmurs of surprise and dismay all around the table.

Steve turned to Tony. “We all saw what he can do in Germany.  My question right now is how does he do it? Is it tech?”

Tony shook his head. “The webs are tech, but everything else is all him. He’s enhanced.”

“What!” Clint exclaimed angrily. “Somebody’s been enhancing kids?”

“No,” Tony said firmly. “Peter’s a unique case.”

“I was bitten by a genetically enhanced spider while on a field trip to OsCorp,” Peter explained. He could read the questions on their faces. “I have enhanced strength, speed, agility and senses.  I heal fast. I stick to things. And I have a spider-sense that warns me when danger is coming.” He summed up his powers for them.

Steve listened intently, taking it all in. “And you use these powers to run around New York fighting crime?”

“Well, yeah,” Peter replied as though it was obvious. “I mean - I can, so why shouldn’t I? Somebody’s gotta look out for the little guy. You know, take care of the stuff below the Avengers’ pay grade.”

“Do your parents know that what you’re doing?” Steve asked.  The disapproval was evident in his voice.

“Do yours?” Peter countered. It was obvious that whatever shyness he had previously felt around the super soldier had vanished.

“Show some respect, young man. My parents are long gone.” Steve reprimanded, not catching the implication in the teen’s response. “I’ll ask again. Do your parents know about this?”

Peter rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. I guess it depends on your belief in the afterlife.”

This time the message was clear to everyone. “Your parents are deceased,” Natasha said sympathetically.

“Long gone,” Peter replied, echoing Steve’s earlier words. He knew they wanted more details. But he wasn’t in a mood to give them more information about his life than he had to.

“Well someone has to be responsible for you now,” Sam said after a moment. He was still trying to free his hand from the table, with no success.  

Peter held back a laugh as he watched Sam struggle with the webbing. “Yeah. And my legal guardian does  know.”

Steve looked at Tony. “Is that you?”

Tony shook his head. “No. Well, not primarily.  There’s some legal paperwork and a shared custody agreement, but that’s really a formality for his protection.”

“What about the Accords? Did he sign them?” Wanda demanded.

“The revised Accords include special provisions for enhanced individuals under the age of 21,” Tony reminded them. He had fought hard for those. “I signed as his proxy. Iron Man is legally responsible for Spider-Man.”  

Steve glared at Tony. “The Avengers don’t use child soldiers, enhanced or otherwise.”

Peter winced at that description of himself. He wasn’t a child soldier. _Was he?_

“What? He’s not a child soldier…” Tony protested. The accusation took him completely by surprise.

“You brought a fourteen year old to a battle. So what _does_ that make him?” Steve practically yelled.

“I wasn’t expecting an all out battle. All I wanted was to bring you guys in without anyone getting hurt. None of us wanted to kill each other. This kid can stop a bus with his bare hands. I needed him on our side. He is the greatest living non-lethal weapon in the world!” Tony ranted without really thinking about his words.

They all seemed shocked by what Tony had just said. “A child is not a weapon.” Steve told him with quiet anger.

Tony grit his teeth. “Oh, don't give me that. You’ve seen what he can do. Child or not, he’s extremely powerful.”

Peter pushed his chair back from the table a little and stared at the floor.  Did Tony only see him as a weapon? As just as asset in a fight?

Steve wasn’t done. “And now you’re letting him take risks playing superhero. You’re encouraging that.”

“Look, the kid was doing the masked crime fighter thing long before I found him. What was I supposed to do when I learned he was fourteen? I upgraded his suit and his equipment to keep him safe.  To give him some supervision. What would you have done?” Tony challenged.

“I would have put a stop to it. I would have told him that he was too young to be out fighting crime.  I would have told him to leave that to the adults. You should have stayed away from him.” Steve lectured.  

Clint snickered. “You really don’t know much about teenagers,” he remarked to Steve.  A few of the other Avengers smirked knowingly.

“Shutting him down didn’t work,” Tony told them. “I tried to stop him and the kid ended up single handedly taking down an arms dealer who hijacked a plane full of Avengers tech. And he nearly got himself killed in the process.”

The team all turned to look at Peter. They had heard about what happened with the plane. “That was you?” Natasha asked him.

“Yeah,” Peter said quietly, without looking up.

Tony breathed deeply for a minute, trying to regain his composure. He then looked back to Steve. “After the plane, I realized I couldn’t leave him out there unsupervised and unprotected. He’s a genius with enhanced superpowers.  But he’s young and inexperienced. He’s eager and reckless. All that makes him a danger to himself and others. I was afraid that he would get himself killed.”

Peter’s heart sank at hearing Tony describe him like that. He never realized what a burden he must be.

Tony continued, “Or worse,  I worried that Hydra would find him. You think I turned him into a child soldier? What do you think Hydra would have done to him? And Hydra is probably not the only evil organization out there that would love to get control of him. I couldn’t risk him falling into enemy hands.”

Peter felt a knot growing in his stomach. He thought Tony must hate having such responsibility for him.

Tony felt that maybe he was going a little overboard here. Maybe he was exaggerating the danger to Peter. But the idea that Steve and the others might try keep Peter away from him was unbearable.  The thought of losing Peter in any way frightened him to the core of his being.

“So I started bringing him here as much as possible to train him,” Tony added, maintaining his calm facade.  

He didn’t feel a need to say that he brought Peter to the compound because he loved working with the kid, whether it was in the training facility or his private workshop. Peter was amazing and brilliant and a rare joy in Tony’s life.  But he didn’t say that.

“That’s why you made the changes to the training facility?” Sam asked, still pulling at the webs.

“Yeah. I needed to build up his skills,” Tony said simply.  

He didn’t  want to tell them that they real reason he had made the additions to the training spaces was because he enjoyed seeing Peter’s face light up like a Christmas tree.  And there was nothing better to spend his money on than making the boy happy.

Peter felt guilty about how much Tony had spent on the training facility upgrades.  At the time, the man had seemed as excited about the additions as Peter was. But now, the boy could see it was only an additional burden.  

“Ok, so he’s young,” Natasha said, “but that’s not terrible. I started even younger.”

Clint turned to her, “That’s true, but it doesn’t make it right.  Nobody deserves the childhood you had.”

Natasha tipped her head, conceding the point.

Rhodes spoke up. “Look, Tony is just doing what he needs to for the kid to be safe.”

Steve turned to him. “So you approve of all this?”

“No, not entirely,” Rhodes admitted reluctantly, “but I understand what Tony’s trying to do.”

It was not a ringing endorsement. “Gee, thanks for the support, Rhodey” Tony said sarcastically.  

“He shouldn’t be doing this,” Scott said, his feelings as a father overruling his admiration for the teen’s abilities. “He’s a kid. He should be doing kid stuff. He’s not supposed to be acting like a superhero.”

Vision started to speak, “Age is not the only thing that should be considered….”

As the Avengers continued to debate the ethics of Spider-Man’s existence, Peter closed his eyes and tuned out what they were saying.  He let the voices wash over him, but chose to not listen to their words.

He had thought that Tony genuinely liked him...that the whole mentor-protege thing they had meant that Tony was truly interested in Peter. He had even thought that Tony had grown to have a real affection for him.

It hurt to hear Tony’s words and realize that the man had only kept him close because Spider-Man was too dangerous to be left on his own. Peter understood now that Tony had never really cared about him as a person. His genius and his powers made him a weapon, an asset to the team, and potentially a target for their enemies.  That’s all that mattered to Tony and to the Avengers.

Peter’s head was pounding and his stomach churned. He needed to get out of the room, before he vomited or cried or both. He needed to get away from all the voices. 

He stood abruptly and turned to Tony. “I’ve got homework,” he said quietly before leaving the room.  

Tony watched him go, wondering what was wrong. The others barely noticed that Peter left as they continued to discuss him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony continue to misunderstand each other. The team is divided about Spider-Man’s young age. Natasha and Peter bond over spidery stuff.

Peter sprinted to his room. He didn’t care if the SHIELD personnel saw him running through the compound. They should be used to the sight by now. He made it to his private bathroom before he threw up most of his breakfast. Then he sat on the bathroom floor and frantically wiped at the tears in his cheeks. 

After a while, he got up, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went into his bedroom.  Sitting at his desk, he pulled out the homework he had for the weekend. He opened his history book and started reading the chapter on the War of the Roses.  After a good twenty minutes of reading the same page over and over, he slammed the book closed. 

He couldn’t really concentrate on homework.  He was stressed out and his body was full of nervous energy.  He considered his options. He could watch a movie in the screening room, but he didn’t feel like sitting for hours.  Swimming was out, since Tony had strict rules against anyone using the pool alone. He could use the track or the parkour course.  Running the track probably wasn’t a great idea after throwing up. The parkour course was appealing; he could run the obstacles and swing around until his head was clear. 

He changed into a plain tee shirt and athletic shorts. He kept his web shooters on and grabbed extra cartridges of web fluid. Then he headed over to the training facility. 

Entering the parkour course, Peter kicked off his shoes and socks.  He always preferred to workout barefoot, much to Tony’s annoyance. He had FRIDAY set the course to his personal preferences.  He quickly ran the ground level obstacles and then and shot out his webs, using the aerial features to swing at full speed. 

———-

Tony had watched in frustration as Peter abruptly told him he had homework and left the room.  The billionaire couldn’t understand why the teen suddenly felt the need to do homework now. 

He was also disappointed that Peter hadn’t really said much during the meeting and had made no attempt to defend himself when the Avengers started making a big deal about his age. The kid really needed to learn to  speak up for himself in those kinds of situations. 

The team was still debating about the appropriateness of Spider-Man bring fifteen years old.  Steve, Sam, Clint, and Scott were against Peter’s activities. Wanda, Vision, and Natasha had no problem with his age.  Rhodes reluctantly supported Tony and Peter, but had serious concerns about the matter. 

“Enough!” Tony shouted, tired of listening to them. “Look, maybe in a perfect world the kid wouldn’t have gotten superpowers at the age of fourteen. In a perfect world he wouldn’t be risking his life fighting crime while he’s still a kid.  But we don’t live in a perfect world. A perfect world wouldn’t need any of us here. We live in the real world. We’re needed so we’re here. The kid is here and he’s an unstoppable force. So deal with it. I’m done discussing this.”

At that, Tony stood up and left while the others sat in stunned silence. 

Once he got away from the others, Tony addressed his AI, “FRIDAY, is Peter doing his homework?”

“No, Boss, not at the moment,” came the quick reply. 

Tony frowned. Had the kid lied to him?  

“Is he in the workshop?” The man asked. After all, they had planned to work on suit upgrades today. Maybe Peter was getting a head start. 

“No, Boss,” the AI answered. 

“Well, where is he then?” Tony asked irritably. 

“Peter is in the training facility, specifically on the parkour course,” she informed him. 

Tony was really annoyed when he heard that. Peter had blown off the meeting and was now ignoring his responsibilities to  _ play _ .  Tony wasn’t in a mood to get into an argument with the boy, so he would have to deal with it later. 

He went down to the workshop alone. 

———-

After the disastrous meeting, the team broke into two groups. Scott, Wanda, and Rhodes went to find something to eat. Vision didn’t really need to eat, but went with them because he enjoyed their company. 

Steve, Sam, Clint, and Natasha wanted to work out. After changing into athletic clothes, they met back in the common room.  They decided to check out the changes to the expanded parkour course. 

When they arrived there, they found Peter swinging rapidly from one end of the course to the other. They had all seen film of Spider-Man and they had seen him in action in Germany.  But to watch the teenager sail over their heads at high speed was amazing. 

Peter had sensed their entrance, having heard their heartbeats.  When he reached the end of the course, he flipped down to the floor and looked at them warily. He wasn’t in the mood for an argument. He was considering leaving when Natasha stepped away from the men and calmly walked over to the boy. 

“Hi,” she greeted him in a friendly voice. “You know who I am, right?”

The boy nodded cautiously. “You’re Black Widow.”

She smiled, “You can call me Nat.” 

Peter nodded again but didn’t verbally respond. So she asked him, “Can you teach me about your webs?”

“Uhm...sure,” Peter started an explanation of the chemistry behind the web fluid, but after a few minutes, she stopped him.

“No, I mean, I want to know how you shoot them,” she clarified.  “I think it’s pretty cool that you can swing from your webs and you can wrap people up with them. They’re like transportation and weapons all in one.”

“Oh, you want to know how the web shooters work?” he asked. 

“Yeah, but not the science of them,” she said before he could launch into that explanation.  “I’m more interested in understanding the practical application of how they work.”

He hesitated, glancing over to where Steve, Sam, and Clint were watching with disapproval.  He started to feel a knot in his stomach again. 

“Hey,” Natasha called his attention back to herself. “Don’t look at them.  Look at me.” Her voice was both understanding and firm. 

Peter gave her a weak smile. He tried to ignore the other Avengers glaring at him. 

He had FRIDAY set up a series of targets at various heights and distances. Natasha stood next to him and watched closely as he shot each one.  He showed her the different presses and taps for simply hitting the target, for webbing it to the wall, or for pulling it back to him. 

“Can I try?” She asked after a while.  

Peter seemed to think about it for a moment, then he smirked. “Sure. After all, you’re a spider too.”  Natasha chuckled at his reasoning. 

He removed his left web shooter and gently attached it to Natasha’s left wrist.  She was a little impressed that the teen had noticed she was left handed. Most people weren’t so observant. Once he was satisfied that it was on correctly, he asked FRIDAY to reset the targets. 

Her first shot was wild, missing the mark completely and throwing her off balance. “That packs some kick!” She said with a small stumble and a surprised laugh. “How do you know how much pressure to use?”

“I’ll show you,” Peter said. He moved to stand a little behind Natasha. He raised his hands towards her, then paused. “May I?” he asked politely. The super spy smiled slightly and nodded. 

Peter gently placed his left hand under hers and guided her to aim at the next target. He curled his two fingers over hers, pressing her fingers against the trigger mechanism.  With his right hand on her right shoulder, he kept her steady as the web shot out. It hit the target perfectly. 

“Great job!” Peter exclaimed. When she looked over her shoulder to smile at him, he blushed a little but smiled back.  

They continued this way, Peter using the hand over hand method to teach Natasha to not just hit the target, but to web it to the wall or to pull it back to them.  

Natasha had a flashback to doing something similar with Tony.  It was years ago, at his notorious birthday party and before he knew who she really was.  Tony had pressed against her and held her arm as he taught her how to fire the repulsor in the Iron Man glove. It had been wildly fun and completely irresponsible.  

She couldn’t help cataloging the difference between that night and now. Tony had held her suggestively, flirting the whole time.  Peter stood close, but with a respectable space between them and had gallantly asked permission to touch her. Tony had been drunk and showing off the power of the glove to impress all the pretty women in attendance, herself included.   Peter was genuinely interested in demonstrating the nuances of the web shooter. Tony had been using the Iron Man technology as a party trick. Peter was using the Spider-Man technology to show her his skills. 

Tony had grown and changed in the intervening years. But looking back, Natasha couldn’t help thinking that in some ways, Peter was the more mature and responsible at fifteen than Tony had been at forty.  

They went through several sets of targets together, then Peter stepped back and let Natasha attempt it on her own.  Her first few just missed the mark, but then she started hitting the targets more often than not. She even managed to web them to the wall messily a few times.  But she had difficulty pulling the targets back to her. Peter offered her encouragement and tips. 

She practiced until the web shooter was empty. “I’m sorry,” she said sincerely as she turned to the boy. 

“Oh, that’s no problem.  There’s plenty more.” He pulled a slim cartilage from the specially designed pocket in his shorts. Then he showed her the release to pop out the empty cartridge and slide the new one in. 

“Hey,” Sam called out, “What’s all this?”  He had opened a newly installed equipment cabinet and found it full of vests and laser rifles. 

Peter glanced over, “Oh, sometimes we play laser tag in here. It’s a lot of fun.”

“You and Tony?” Clint asked. 

“Yeah. Sometimes Colonel Rhodey and Vision too,” Peter told them. 

Natasha took advantage of the pause in the action to ask him, “Are you and Tony close?”

The question seemed to upset the boy.  His face fell and his body tensed. He frowned slightly before he forced his face into a neutral expression in front of the super spy.  

“I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. “I thought we were.”

“And now you don’t?” She asked. The teen shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “Why? Because of the meeting this morning?”  She persisted. 

Peter nodded, double checking that the new web cartridge was secure.  He could tell she wasn’t going to let the subject drop easily.

“I didn’t know he only thought of me as a weapon, as just another responsibility.” Peter whispered, afraid he might break down if he spoke louder.  “I thought he actually cared about me.” 

Natasha’s heart stirred for the young boy. Before she could offer any comfort, he lightly tapped the web shooter and spoke up in his regular voice. “It’s all good. Go again?” He gently guided her into position to aim at the reset targets. 

They resumed their practice. Peter showed her some different tricks and techniques. The other Avengers just watched, but the pair of spiders ignored them. By the time FRIDAY informed everyone lunch was ready, Natasha was feeling tired from the effort.  She had a new appreciation for just how difficult web shooting was. 

She also felt that she had gained a lot of new insight into Peter and had a better understanding of the kind of person he was.  She realized that Tony was on the verge of really messing things up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene where Tony teaches Natasha to shoot a repulsor isn’t in the final cut of Iron Man 2. But it’s in the trailers and the deleted scenes. So that’s enough for me to say to actually happened. 
> 
> Tony’s being a jerk, but he’ll come around eventually.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries to get along at lunch and learns a surprising fact about Spider-Man. Peter contemplates his bedroom. Natasha and Tony talk.

Instead of eating in the mess hall, everyone gathered in the Avengers dining room for a real team lunch.  They all wanted to rebuild the team, even if they disagreed about Peter’s place on it. Even Tony begrudging came from the workshop to join them, at Rhodey’s persistent insistence. The billionaire had calmed down somewhat and was ready to try to face everyone again. 

Peter found that his stomach had settled somewhat after the exercise and working with Natasha.  He was hungry, although not nearly as much as usual. 

During lunch, Natasha told the others how Peter had taught her to use the web shooter.  “It’s a lot harder than it looks. I was surprised.” She told them. 

“It is,” Tony agreed. “I’ve played around with the web shooters quite a bit and I haven’t mastered them. It takes a special skill.” Despite his residual annoyance with the teen, he looked at Peter proudly. However, the boy was looking down at his plate and didn’t catch his mentor’s expression.  

Then Tony smirked. “Do you remember when I taught you how to fire the repulsor?” he asked Natasha. 

“Yes,” she replied. “And this was much cooler.”  The rest of the team laughed as Tony put a hand over his heart and feigned offense. 

The super spy turned to the teen. “Peter, can you teach me to swing on the webs? Like you do?” 

Looking up, he shook his head, “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” She was genuinely curious.  

He paused for a moment, considering the most tactful way to respond. Finally he asked her, “Uhm...how’s your math? And physics?” 

Natasha was both amused and puzzled by the question. “My math? What do you mean?”

Peter took a deep breath, then launched into an explanation. “So when you’re swinging, you have to constantly calculate where to place the next web. You need to take into account things like speed, direction, and mass. Also air resistance and weather conditions like if it’s humid or windy need to be factored in.”  He was writing equations in the air as he spoke. “And the calculations are different if you want to land on something or if you want to swing all the way around it.”

The others were listening intently.  Their faces ranged from surprise to total confusion.  

Steve spoke up first, “You mean you have to do the math for every swing?” 

“Well, there’s some instinct involved, but I don’t rely on that completely.  If I’m somewhere really familiar, like my own neighborhood, I can pretty much just hit the same spots every time without thinking about it, unless the weather’s unusual,” He explained.  

Steve looked to Tony for confirmation.  The billionaire appeared both impressed and disturbed. “I had no idea all that was involved,” he said honestly.  He realized that he had never even asked Peter about it. 

“What about in a fight?” Sam asked. “Are you still doing math then?”

Peter nodded. “In a fight I can usually just run the math in the back of my head and make it work. But yeah, I still have to do the calculations.”

“What if you get distracted or miscalculate?” Wanda asked. 

“Oh, in that case I might hit a wall or fall or something,” Peter told her. “I try not to let that happen, but every once in a while…” he gave a sheepish half-smile and shrugged a little. A few of the others looked alarmed by that. Steve glared at Tony and shook his head disapprovingly. 

Peter turned back to Natasha.  “Anyway, I don’t think I could teach that.”

“I don’t think I could learn it. That’s too bad, I really wanted to try it.” She sounded disappointed. “You must be a genius to figure all that math every time.”

Tony spoke up before Peter could answer.  “He’s definitely a genius. Goes to a school for gifted kids and he’s the smartest one there,” the man boasted. “But Kid, why don’t you just let Karen do the calculations and show you on the display?”

Peter shook his head slightly, “I tried that. But then I have to tell Karen exactly what I want to do on each swing or if I want to change direction or land somewhere.  It’s faster to just figure it myself.” 

Tony hummed thoughtfully. He was upset that he had never realized all the mental effort that went into Peter’s swinging.  There had to be away to make the task easier and less dangerous for the kid. But the man realized that Peter was right - there were too many variables to explain to the AI quickly. Tony was disappointed with himself that he couldn’t easily see a way to overcome that.  It was definitely something he wanted to work on. 

Peter saw Tony’s look of disappointment and misunderstood it. The boy assumed he had said something wrong and now Tony was upset with him. He looked down and was quiet through the rest of the meal. Peter pushed his food around with his fork, but didn’t eat much. 

When both Tony and Peter fell silent, the conversation drifted to neutral topics, like recent movies and television shows. It was obvious they were all making an effort to get along. 

As they were cleaning up after lunch, Sam turned to Tony, “Peter said that you guys play laser tag in the parkour course.  Sounds like fun.”

Tony gave a slight smile. “We do sometimes.”

“It could be a good team building activity,” Clint said as he packed up the leftovers. “My kids love laser tag.  I’m pretty good at it.” His tone implied that he thought he was more than  _ pretty good _ . “Are you guys up for a challenge?” 

Peter paused in his task of washing dishes and looked at Tony hopefully. For a moment, it seemed like the billionaire might give in. But suddenly Tony wasn’t ready to let go of what had happened earlier. He had reached his limit of  _ team togetherness _ for one day. He said, “Not today. Some other time.”

Tony turned to his young protege. “You neglected your responsibilities all morning to play. I want you in your room and don’t come out until your homework is done.  Then you need to work on your project in the workshop,” Tony reprimanded the boy firmly. 

Peter ducked his head. “Yes, sir,” he said quietly. After finishing the dishes he went to his room without another word. 

————

Peter finished the calculus assignment and closed his textbook.  Before reaching for the next subject, he let his eyes move around the room as he considered the space he was in. 

When Peter first came to the compound, he had stayed in the other room, the one next to Vision.  The room had been comfortable, but felt a bit impersonal. Although it was decorated with Spider-Man’s colors and motif, it didn’t reflect any of Peter’s other interests. 

The second night he was there, Peter had a violent nightmare. Vision and Rhodes weren’t around that weekend and FRIDAY had alerted Tony. The man had run the length of the building to get from his own wing to the Avengers’ quarters and found Peter a sobbing mess on the floor. Not only had he fallen out of bed, but in his thrashing about he had knocked over the night table and smashed the bedside lamp. It took a long time for the boy to calm down.  Tony and Peter had spent the rest of that night on the couch in the common room with old movies playing on the tv. Neither got much sleep. Peter had reluctantly admitted to having nightmares “a lot” when Tony asked about it. 

The next time Peter came to the compound, the billionaire had explained that it didn’t make sense for them to be on opposite ends of the building when they were often the only ones there. So Tony had moved Peter to the guest room next to his own bedroom.  But it didn’t look like a guest room. The bed was covered with the Spider-Man comforter and pillows. But the walls were decorated with sci-fi movie posters, a New York Mets pennant, and a large map of the city (which was hung upside-down because Tony knew that Peter preferred to hang from the ceiling while studying it).  The walls were freshly painted a soft grey that Peter found soothing and the room had special lighting and soundproofing features that calmed his overactive senses. And when Peter had a nightmare, his mentor was only steps away. 

Now that the team was back, Peter wondered if Tony would want him to move back to his original room.  He knew the room was still assigned to Spider-Man because he had seen it marked on the floor plans during the latest remodel.  With the Avengers’ quarters no longer empty, Peter thought that Tony might want his guest room back. Maybe with other adults around, Tony wouldn’t feel responsible for having to soothe Peter after his nightmares. There was really no need for Tony to keep him so close. 

———

Natasha found Tony in his workshop.  “We need to talk,” she informed him. He quietly cursed at FRIDAY for letting her in. 

“I’m busy,” he told her.  He still had some hard feelings about her betrayal in Germany. 

When she didn’t leave but instead sat down on a stool, he sighed and set down his tools. “About what?”

“Peter,” she said simply. 

Tony shot her an irritated look. “I told you guys already, I’m not having another discussion about his age…”

“I don’t care about that,” Natasha interrupted him. “Where I came from there wasn’t really a distinction between child and adult. Young and capable or old and capable, it makes no difference to me. Peter’s obviously capable. If I were still doing assessment reports for Fury, I’d recommend him for the team.” 

Tony nodded, appreciating her perspective. “Then what is it?”

“I want to know what he means to you.” She said calmly, without a trace of emotion. 

“What he means to me?” Tony repeated.  

“In the meeting you called him the greatest non-lethal weapon in the world and you talked about him as an asset that needs to be protected from Hydra. Did you mean all that?” It sounded a little like her interrogation voice. 

“Do you think I say things I don’t mean?” Tony countered. 

She raised her eyebrows and smirked at him in response. 

“So what if I did?”  Tony challenged. 

“So, Peter heard that. He believed you. Now he thinks that’s all he is to you:  just a weapon to be used in a fight and something dangerous to be kept out of enemy hands.” 

Tony’s eyes narrowed, not believing her. “Peter’s too smart to think that,” he countered. 

Natasha rolled her eyes. “I know that you and Peter are both geniuses about science and technology stuff. But when it comes to personal relationships, you’re an idiot. And Peter’s...well, I hate to say it this way, but Peter  _ is _ just a kid. He doesn’t know any better.”

Tony thought about that. “You’re saying I messed up.”

“I’m saying that boy used to think that you cared about him.  Now he thinks you just see him as a thing, like your suits or your tools.  I’m just wondering if he was wrong before or if he’s wrong now.” She said it dispassionately, like either option was equally valid in her view. 

Tony didn’t answer that and it seemed like she wasn’t really expecting him to. 

Instead, he asked in a soft voice, “Do you think Peter’s a child soldier? Did I turn him into that?” 

Natasha raised her eyebrows at the question. “What Steve said got to you, huh?”  Tony looked down and didn’t reply. 

She thought for a moment and then said, “You’ve always insisted that the Avengers aren’t soldiers.  So no, I don’t think he’s a child soldier. And I don’t think he’s a weapon either. He  _ is _ something special though, but I’m not yet sure exactly what he is.”

She pushed off from the stool and left the workshop, leaving the man to his thoughts. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter have a much needed talk.

After Natasha left the workshop, Tony picked up his tools and went back to working on the latest model of the Iron Man suit. But he couldn’t get what Natasha had said out of his mind.  After puttering around and not making any real progress, he finally gave in to temptation.

“FRIDAY, show me the recording of this morning’s meeting,” he commanded.  The holographic display in front of him came to life and the recording started.

While watching the playback, Tony paid careful attention to Peter.  He enjoyed watching Peter web Sam to the table and sass Steve. But then he saw how Peter had winced when Steve called him a child soldier. And the teen’s posture totally deflated when Tony called him a weapon.  It got worse as the meeting went on, with Peter showing clear signs of distress as Tony talked about the boy being reckless and dangerous and the threat of Hydra. By the time Peter had walked out of the room, he looked to be near tears.

_How did I miss this during the meeting?_ Tony wondered.  But he knew. He had been so intent on arguing with Steve and the others about the Kid that he neglected to pay any attention to the Kid.

Damn, he hated when Natasha was right.  He was going to have to fix this.

“Boss,” FRIDAY interrupted his thoughts, “Peter is requesting permission to leave his room to get a snack. He reports that he has completed most of his homework and only has…”

“That’s fine,” Tony answered, cutting her off. “Remind him to eat his snack in the kitchen.”

He suddenly remembered that Peter hadn’t finished his lunch.  “FRIDAY, how much has Peter eaten today?” he asked with concern.  

“Peter ate his normal amount of food at breakfast. However, he later vomited much of it.” Tony grimaced at that news. FRIDAY continued, “He consumed  roughly one half of his usual intake during lunch.”

“Make sure he has something healthy for his snack,” Tony instructed the AI as he got up from the workstation.  

The billionaire carefully kept his pace calm and slow as he headed towards the kitchen in his wing.  It wouldn’t be appropriate for the SHIELD staff to see him sprinting through the halls. After all, he had an image to maintain.

Arriving in his wing, he found Peter was seated at the kitchen island. The Spiderling was eating a plate of toast with peanut butter and a bowl of fruit salad.  He had his laptop open and was typing rapidly while he ate. Peter paused nervously when Tony entered the room, but then continued typing.

Noticing that Peter didn’t have anything to drink, Tony got apple juice from the refrigerator and poured two glasses. He reached across the island to set one down in front of the boy.

Peter glanced at the beverage then returned his focus to his laptop. “I’m done with my calculus assignment and the questions for the history chapter, sir. I just need to finish typing up my notes from chemistry lab.” He waved his hand towards the laptop.

“That’s fine, Pete,” Tony said gently.  “I know you’ll get it done. I’m not worried about it.”

Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  He looked up from his work, but didn’t meet Tony’s eyes.

“Sir, now that the team is back, should I…” his voice faltered a little, “...do you want me to move back to the other room? The one next to Vision?”

The question took the man by surprise, “Why would you do that?”

Peter shrugged. “I thought you might want your guest room back,” he said simply.

Tony sighed. “Kid, in all the times you’ve been here, have I ever had the need for a guest room?”

Peter’s brow furrowed as he considered this. “No,” he said quietly.

“Do you think I would have made all those changes to that room if I had any intention of ever turning it back to a guest room?  Tony asked.

Peter frowned and was unable to come up with a response.

“Tell me what you’re really thinking,” the man said patiently.

Peter swallowed hard. “I don’t want to be in your way when I’m here,  Mr. Stark. And now that the others are here, you don’t have to look after me yourself so much...”

“Pete,”  Tony said in a pained voice.

The boy stilled and stared at the floor.

“Peter, look at me.” Tony implored.

Slowly, Peter raised his eyes to his mentor.  Tony was struck by the hurt he saw in the young face.  Slowly Tony walked around the island and sat down next to the boy, then placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Peter flinched at the touch, but Tony tightened his hold slightly, just enough to keep the Kid from pulling away.”

“Pete, the things that I said in the meeting …” Tony started.

“Are you going to tell me that you didn’t mean it?” Peter interrupted, his voice had an unusual edge of bitterness.

Tony sighed. “No. I actually did mean all of it, but I might not have said things the best way.”

Peter nodded. “So I am just a weapon for your fights. A dangerous asset to be guarded from your enemies.”

“No,” Tony said emphatically. “You’re not just a weapon. You’re not _just_ anything. You are an amazing individual with incredible talents.”

“You mean Spider-Man is. You’re interested in Spider-Man, not Peter,” the boy said quietly.  

Tony felt troubled, realizing something for the first time. “No, it’s not like that.”

Tony took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts. Finally he spoke. “Look, Pete, it’s true that when I first recruited you I was only interested in what you could do as Spider-Man. I saw on the videos how powerful you are and I needed you in the fight in Germany. And yes, at that time, I needed you as a weapon against Captain America and his team.”

Peter looked away, pulling the sleeves of his hoodie over his hands. It was an anxious habit.

Tony continued, “But I always knew you were more than a weapon. From the day we met I knew there was something extraordinary about you, Kid. When I found out that you had developed your web fluid in a school chemistry lab...when I saw what you had built from the garbage you found dumpster diving…you reminded me of myself.”

Now Peter did look up at him, with a puzzled expression.  “Of yourself? How? I doubt you’ve ever had to go dumpster diving.”

Tony smiled at the boy. “True. However, I created the first Iron Man suit in a cave out of scrap. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked the way I needed it too. Kinda like your first web shooters.”

Tony thought he might have seen a brief smile on the boy’s lips, but then it was gone.

Tony continued, “The things you can do as Spider-Man...they are powerful abilities and I’ll be honest, it scares me sometimes to see such power in someone so young. And I do worry about Hydra or some other evil organization getting their hands on you.”

Peter shivered at the thought of that.

Tony continued, “I want to keep you safe. That’s why I have a legal agreement with May and why I fought so hard to have the protections for young enhanced individuals added into the Accords.”

“I know,” Peter said miserably. “I didn’t mean to be such a burden to you.”

“You’re not a burden, Spiderling. I did those things because I wanted to, not because I had to.” Tony tried to sound reassuring.

“You wanted Spider-Man safe.  But you got stuck babysitting Peter Parker,” the teen said sadly.

Tony felt frustrated.  This conversation wasn’t going the way he had planned. “Kid, I don’t think of Peter Parker and Spider-Man as these separate entities the way you seem to. I didn’t realize you do that. Maybe it’s because you’re young or maybe it’s a psychological side effect of trying to maintain a secret identity.”

Peter looked confused.

Tony sighed, trying to figure out a way to explain it to the boy. “What I mean is, I’m not more concerned with Spider-Man The Superhero than Peter Parker The Kid.  It doesn’t work that way. There’s just you. Your heart and your mind and your soul are the same whether you’re in the suit or out of it. Those are the things that are uniquely _you_ .  I care about _you_.”

Tony held the boy’s gaze until Peter nodded, finally understanding.  Then he pulled the Kid in for a tight hug.

Peter awkwardly pulled back from the embrace before he fell off his stool. “What about Captain America? And the others?  They still don’t want me to be Spider-Man.”

Tony remembered something he had said after Peter left the meeting. “Are you familiar with the irresistible force paradox?” he asked the boy.

“Sure,” Peter nodded. If the change in topic surprised him, it didn't show. “It poses the question: what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?”  

Tony chuckled to himself, “Well, it looks like we’re going to find that out.”

Peter gave a questioning look and the man explained, “I told the team that you are an unstoppable force and they need to deal with that.  But I know Steve. He’s an immovable object.”

Peter considered this. “But the paradox is flawed.  It assumes the force and the object are both indestructible and are separate entities. However, by their very definitions, an unstoppable force and an immovable object cannot both exist at the same time. Ultimately one has to win over the other.”

“Are you talking physics or philosophy?” Tony asked with a small smile.  

Peter shrugged.  “Works for both, I guess.”

Tony nodded in approval.

The boy thought about it a bit more and then said, “Although you could argue that an unstoppable force and an immovable object would both need to have infinite inertia.  In that case, they may not truly be separate entities. That could mean that they are actually the same thing, just observed from different perspectives.”

Tony was impressed. “An astute analysis. But that’s a troubling solution in our current application.”

Peter laughed.  “I am not Captain America.” The teen assured his mentor.  

“Thank God for that,” Tony said. “I guess you’ll just have to win him over.”  Although Tony wondered if perhaps Steve and Peter were more similar than he cared to admit.

The man dismissed that thought quickly saying, ”Finish your snack and put your homework away.  I need your help with the wiring on the Iron Man suit. I’m getting nowhere with it and I need another set of eyes to review the schematics.”

Peter gave him a huge grin as he gathered up his school stuff. “Can we watch a movie later?”

“Maybe,” Tony replied, “but I don’t want you staying up all night.  You need to get some good sleep tonight. Because tomorrow you and I are going to destroy the Avengers in laser tag!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our boys have made up, but things aren’t over yet. There’s still Steve and the rest of the team to deal with.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An incident in Queens causes some of the Avengers to reconsider their objections to Peter’s activities as Spider-Man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Peter and Tony (and I hope that comes through in my stories). I actually like Steve too, although I’ve written him as a jerk in this story. But I do think that there are serious ethical issues that need to be considered when dealing with a fifteen year old superhero. This story was intended to explore some of those, but I don’t think I’ve really done that effectively. I hope people enjoy it anyway.

Wednesday morning found the Avengers gathered in the conference room, having an early meeting.  Steve was an early riser and liked to schedule meetings first thing in the morning, much to the annoyance of some of the others who would rather sleep in.

The team was back together, but the public was still wary of the rogue Avengers and skeptical of the team’s ability to work together. SHIELD insisted that they needed to schedule some PR appearances and events to regain the public’s confidence. None of them really looked forward to that, but they all understood how important it was.

They were discussing the list of possible events when FRIDAY interrupted, “Boss, Karen is reporting that Peter is in the Spider-Man suit.”

Tony looked at his watch and frowned. “Now? He should be on his way to school.”

Steve shot Tony an angry look, “He misses school for Spider-Man? You allow that?”

“No, I don’t allow that…” Tony started to argue, when the AI spoke up again.

“Boss, there’s also an alert that Spider-Man is on the news.”

Tony gave an exasperated sigh. “Put it on,” he instructed. What trouble has the kid gotten himself into now?  

The large screen at the front of the room came on.  The scene showed a burning building with firefighters battling the flames. Emergency vehicles with flashing lights were everywhere. A few adults and many small, crying children were being rushed away from the building.

The reporter spoke from one corner of the screen. _“....For those just tuning in, we are on the scene here at the Bratty Stinkers Daycare Center in Queens, where a fire has engulfed the building.  Most of the employees and children have been evacuated, but there is one group that was trapped in the back. Spider-Man has been on the scene and has already brought out three young children.  He’s gone into the building again and we are waiting for him to come back out. We understand that there are three more children still trapped in the building.”_

Tony felt the blood drain from his face. “FRIDAY, get his vitals!”

“Karen is unable to give a full reading at this time.  However, she tells me that Spider-Man is active and moving quickly.”  FRIDAY informed him.

Tony felt slightly relieved to at least know that the kid wasn’t passed out in the burning building. “Keep trying to get updates,” he commanded.

Steve was visibly upset. “What’s Peter even doing there?”

“It’s on his route to school,” Tony told them as he recognized the surrounding buildings.

The reporter was babbling about how long Spider-Man has been in the building and speculating on whether his super powers would help him tolerate the intense heat.  

Natasha looked uncharacteristically worried, “Can you do anything?” she asked Tony.

“No. I can’t get there in time to help him, not even with my fastest suit.”  Tony was trying to remain calm, but he was terrified. All he could do was watch things play out on the TV - just like everyone else.

“Look!” Rhodey yelled excitedly, pointing at the screen. Spider-Man was emerging from the building.  He appeared to be covered in his own webs. As the camera zoomed in closer, it became apparent that he had two toddlers webbed to his front and back and he cradled an infant in one arm. He rushed the children to a waiting ambulance. The crowd watching from the street cheered.

The reporter excitedly exclaimed, _“He’s done it! Spider-Man has brought the last of the children out of the building.”_

In the background, the rest of the building collapsed in flames. The kids had been rescued just in the nick of time.

The camera panned over to where several ambulances were caring for the daycare staff and children. They could see the paramedics cut the webs that held the toddlers to the young hero. The paramedics were checking the children over and administering oxygen. But it was obvious the children were crying and moving around, which were really good signs.

One little boy was still clinging to Spider-Man, refusing to let go, despite a paramedic’s efforts to pull him off.  So Spider-Man sat down by the ambulance, placed the child on his lap, and held an oxygen mask to the small face. Another of the paramedics spoke with Spider-Man, apparently offering him an oxygen mask as well, but the hero waved him off.  

“FRIDAY? Any update?”  Tony asked. He was relieved to see that Peter looked alright, but he still worried.

“The suit has some damage, so a full reading is still not possible.  However, Karen reports that all vital signs are rapidly returning to normal.  She suspects some minor heat related injuries and a sprained wrist, which should heal with the appropriate rest and food.”

Tony let out the breath he had been holding. The Kid was safe and relatively unharmed.

On the television, the Fire Captain was speaking to the reporter. _“The fire was started by a former employee who was let go last week.  She set the fire as an act of revenge on the owners and other staff. Spider-Man caught the arsonist while our firefighters were able to get everyone from the front of the building out safely. However, there were six children trapped in a back room. They ranged in age from two months to four years old. If Spider-Man hadn't been here, those kids wouldn’t have made it out. They have some minor burns and smoke inhalation, but they are all going to be ok.”_  

The fire was almost completely put out by now. Parents were arriving on the scene, having joyful, tear-filled reunions with their children. Spider-Man was seen lifting the boy from his lap and handing the child over to a crying woman. Spider-Man waved to the boy, then quietly slipped away from the scene.

The reporter spoke to a couple of firefighters who described the challenges of battling the blaze and getting everyone out safely. The reporter praised the NYFD, then said, _“We were hoping to get an interview with Spider-Man, but he appears to have left the area. It seems that Spider-Man has already had a busy week. We have reports that he stopped two muggings last night and a bank robbery two days ago. Spider-Man, wherever you are, I hope you know how grateful Queens is to have you!”_

“Maybe we should include Spider-Man in the PR events. The public clearly loves him,” Wanda said half-jokingly.

“Spider-Man’s not an Avenger,” Steve said firmly.

Tony ignored their exchange. “FRIDAY, where is he?”

“Peter is no longer in the suit, Boss. However, he told Karen to send you a message that he’s alright and he’s heading to school. He’ll call you later.” The AI informed him.

Tony glanced at his watch. “Call Midtown School of Science and Technology,” the billionaire said as he lifted his phone to his ear.

“Hello, this is Tony Stark. I'm calling in regards to Peter Parker… Peter is going to be tardy today… Yes, he was doing some work for me on his internship this morning….He’ll be at least an hour late, maybe two… Yes, that’s right… If the principal has any questions, he can call me… Thank you.” He ended the call and lowered the phone.

“What was that all about?” Natasha asked with a smirk.

“If he has another unexcused tardy, he’ll get a detention. The kid doesn’t deserve that today,” Tony said fondly.

“That was amazing.” Sam said, still watching the aftermath of the event on the television.  The others agreed.

Tony chuckled a little, as a sense of relief overcame his earlier fears. He was so damn proud of the Kid. He asked the others. “Do all of you still think he has no business being a superhero? “

“He called it watching out for the little guy,” Scott said thoughtfully, as they saw grateful parents hug their toddlers. “They don’t get any littler than that.”

Steve looked troubled. “I never said he doesn’t do good out there.  But it’s a heavy burden to lay on a teenager. Look, I’m thrilled he got all those children out safely. But what if things had gone wrong? What if they hadn’t all made it out? What if Peter hadn’t made it out? Doesn’t that scare you?”

“Oh, it terrifies me every day,” Tony admitted without hesitation. “But is that what we do now, Cap? We don’t take the risks because we’re scared we might get hurt?”

“We’re adults, Tony!” Steve’s voice was almost at a yell. “And we just watched a fifteen year old boy run into a burning building while people cheered.  That’s not right. He shouldn’t have been there...”

Clint spoke up. “Six families don’t have to bury their babies because of him. He did the right thing.”

The archer turned to Tony, “You were right what you said that day. In a perfect world, he wouldn’t have to do this. But a perfect world wouldn’t need us either. And yet here we all are. I get it now.”

Tony looked around the room as most of the others nodded in agreement.

Sam turned to Steve. “We’re living in a world where someone will target kids in revenge for getting fired. I don’t know, Cap, maybe it is time for a child hero. There’s already enough child victims out there.”

Tony could feel the team’s attitude toward Peter shifting to the teen’s favor. But Steve’s expression showed that he was still against the boy’s activities.

Tony took a deep breath.  In a calm tone he asked, “Cap, didn’t you tell me that if you see situation pointed south, you can’t ignore it?”

“Yeah, I did,” Steve said quietly, remembering that conversation.  

“Doesn’t Peter get to have that same moral compass?”  Tony asked.

The broadcast had gone back to the regular programming and FRIDAY turned it off.  But Steve continued to stare at the blank screen.

After a long moment, the super soldier hung his head. “I don’t know anymore,” he admitted in a pained voice.

Tony knew that was the best he would get for now. But it looked like the immovable object was starting to wobble a little.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies if there really is a Bratty Stinkers Daycare Center in Queens, or anywhere else. I tried to come up with a name that was pretty unlikely for a real daycare.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating (I got sick). This chapter and the next were originally written as one, but it got longer than I wanted, so I split it in two and reworked a few things. So the next update should be much quicker. 
> 
> I haven’t responded to many of the comments, but I read and appreciate them alll. I enjoy seeing different opinions on the topics here. I approach fiction writing as part stress relief/ creative outlet and part thought experiment. I like to explore ideas of “what would happen if...?” I know that as a result, sometimes the characters seem out of character, although I do try to keep them true to who they are. I know some readers may disagree with my interpretation of a character or situation. That’s ok. I’m not trying to write great literature here. But I do hope that most readers will enjoy the stories I come up with.

A package arrived Friday morning, addressed simply to “Mr. Iron Man, Avengers Compound.”

After FRIDAY scanned the package to be sure it was safe, Tony set it on the conference room table and began to open it.  The other Avengers gathered around curiously. 

The box contained a pile of papers and photographs.  Tony picked up the note on top of the pile and read it aloud. 

“Dear Mr. Iron Man, The families and staff of Bratty Stinkers Daycare want to thank Spider-Man.  We don’t know how to contact him, but we are hoping you can pass these along to him. Please tell Spider-Man we love him.”

The rest of the box was filled with letters, cards, and pictures.  Tony started spreading them out on the large table and the others joined in. 

There were photos of the children he had saved and letters from their parents, expressions of gratitude and love.  There were letters and drawings from older children, thanking Spider-Man for saving their little brothers and sisters. There were letters from the daycare staff. 

Ah the bottom of the box was a large piece of paper that had been folded several times. Tony carefully unfolded it and spread it out.  It was like a large poster, with “Thank You, Spider-Man!” written in big bubble letters, which had been colored in by crayons - some were colored in carefully and others more messily. Underneath the words were six sets of small handprints. Below each set was the child’s name and age. 

The Avengers looked at everything with a quiet awe.  It was heartwarming to see such an outpouring of gratitude and appreciation for the young hero. Several of the Avengers has tears in their eyes as they read the letters.  Tony was so proud of the Kid and excited for Peter so see everything. 

Steve had hung back a little, away from the others. But suddenly he stepped close the table and gently traced one of the handprints on the poster with his fingertips. The handprint was labeled “Isaac, age 3”.  Tony wondered if that was the little boy who had clung to Spider-Man.

“My God,” the super soldier whispered,  “They’re just babies.” There were tears on his cheeks.  It seemed that the full impact of what Peter had done was just now hitting him.  

Steve looked at Tony.  The captain’s face was troubled and confused. Despite all their arguments about Peter, Tony felt a twinge of sympathy. He knew the Kid had a way of challenging a person’s long held beliefs about the world. 

“Did your morality just get more complicated?” Tony asked without any trace of anger. 

“Yeah,” Steve admitted. “I mean, theoretically I still think it’s wrong to let a fifteen year old be a superhero.  But looking at the reality of what he’s done...I can’t say he shouldn’t have done it. But Tony, what happens when he learns the hard way that he can’t save everyone?”

Tony‘s smile faded and he took on a sad expression, “Unfortunately Cap, he’s already learned that. Peter’s lost a lot for someone so young. It just makes him more determined to try.”

Steve nodded. He understood loss and the motivation that sometimes follows it. But he was still concerned. “What if he gets hurt?  Or what if it all gets to be too much? The teenage years are hard enough. Adding the superhero stuff to it… what happens if he crumbles from the pressure?”

“That’s why he needs a team,” Tony replied. “People he can turn to for help and guidance in learning to handle all that. The more people on his team, the better. How about it, Cap, can he count on you?”

Steve looked at the brightly colored handprints again and seriously considered that  question. He wondered to himself,  _ Can I whole-heartedly support this boy in being a teenage superhero?  _ Because Steve knew that if he was going to support Peter in this, it had to be one hundred percent, with no holding back. It still seemed so wrong to involve a child in this kind of work, this daily pursuit of danger.  Could he get over that?

——————

It happened that particular Friday was a half day for the New York City Schools. Happy picked Peter up at noon and brought him to the compound.  Once they arrived, the kid thanked Happy before running into the building. 

Usually, he found Tony in the workshop or on occasion in the kitchen. So he was startled to discover his mentor waiting for him in the foyer with most of the other Avengers looking on. 

“Hi, Mr. Stark!” Peter exclaimed happily.

“Hey, Kid.  How are you?”  They had talked several times since the fire, which had comforted them both.  Tony had been relieved to know that his protege had only minor injuries, which had been confirmed by a separate call with May. And Peter had felt reassured that his mentor truly did care about him. 

But now that the Kid was in front of him, Tony needed to see for himself that the teen was alright. He stepped close to Peter and ran his hands through the boy’s hair.  The gesture looked affectionate at first, but then it became clear that Tony was actually checking for head injuries. 

“I’m really ok,” Peter assured the man. He tolerated the inspection good-naturedly while Tony’s fingers scrubbed at his head.  

Satisfied that the Kid wasn’t hiding a head injury, Tony ruffled his hair playfully before Peter ducked his head away with an amused smile. 

“How’s the wrist?” Tony asked. 

Peter held his arm out for his mentor to see.  “It’s just a little sore. It should be all healed by tomorrow.” Tony held the wrist lightly, gently turning it while watching Peter’s face for signs of pain. 

“Anything else hurt? Do I need to have medical run a full check up on you now or can it wait a little?” The man asked, as he looked the Kid up and down.  

The other Avengers were exchanging glances, a bit surprised by Tony’s obvious and genuine concern. 

Peter shook his head. “It can wait. I’m good,” he insisted. He really didn’t need a medical check, but experience taught him that arguing about that was pointless. 

Tony nodded and visibly relaxed, finally satisfied that the Kid was really ok. 

Peter looked at the floor and frowned. “The suit’s damaged.  I haven’t been able to connect with Karen. I don’t know if she’s hurt.” He sounded worried. 

“We’ll fix your suit,” Tony said gently, he always marveled at how Peter had gotten attached to his AI. “Karen’s alright. Part of her communication interface was damaged, so she couldn't talk with you, but she’s she’s been able to exchange information with FRIDAY.”

Now it was Peter’s turn to look relieved. 

“Are you hungry?” Tony asked. 

Peter smiled and shook his head. “Happy got me some cheeseburgers on the way here.” 

“Ok, in that case, I’ve got a surprise for you!” Tony said with a big grin. 

————-

Tony brought Peter into the conference room, with the other Avengers following close behind them.  

The young hero’s eyes went wide when he saw everything spread across the table. “What’s all this?” 

Tony smiled. “This is from the daycare families and staff. To thank you for saving those kids.”

Peter shrugged, “I was just doing what had to be done. Just helping out in the neighborhood.” 

Tony rolled his eyes at the boy’s modesty. Then he put an arm around Peter’s shoulders.  “You did more than that, Kid. You saved those children when no one else could get to them.  You did good. I’m proud of you.”

Peter looked up at Tony and beamed with pride at hearing his mentor’s praise. 

Clint said, “We’re all proud of you.  What you did was pretty amazing.” 

All around the room, the other Avengers were nodding and saying things like “Good work” or “Great job.”  All bit Steve, who remained quiet. 

Peter grinned at the team, then turned his attention to the materials  spread over the whole table. He didn’t know where to start. Should he read the letters first or look at the drawings and photos? Peter was clearly overwhelmed by the outpouring of gratitude and love. It showed in his expression and movements. 

“Is this your first fan mail?” Natasha asked, seeing the emotions play on his face.  She remembered when the Avengers had started to get fan mail after the Battle of New York and how mind boggling it had seemed at the beginning. 

Peter nodded, then looked confused “Fan mail?” 

Rhodes chuckled,” Yeah, Peter.  This is fan mail. How does it feel?”

“It’s weird,” Peter said after thinking about it for a moment. “I mean, I sent stuff like this to most of you guys when I was younger. It’s strange to be on the receiving end.”

Tony smirked.  He was well aware that young Peter had sent the Avengers letters and drawings.  He had even gone through the boxes in storage until he found some of them. Those were now kept in his private office. 

The other Avengers helped him get started by pointing out their favorite letters and pictures.  The afternoon was spent with all of them reading the letters out loud and passing around the photos and drawings. It felt like a celebration, not only of what Peter had done, but also of his acceptance by the team.  

Steve stood back, watching but not participating in the lively discussions going on around him. He saw his teammates look at him questioningly every so often. And Peter glanced at him worriedly a few times. 

_ Can I whole-heartedly support this boy in being a teenage superhero?  _ The question kept running through the super soldier’s head. It was time to figure out the answer. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to get the next update finished and posted soon. That will be the last of the serious discussion chapters. Then there will be a wrap up that will include something special for the Peter & Natasha fans.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tells Steve about how he and Tony met. At dinner, Peter has questions about the nature of superheroes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally supposed to be part of the previous one. But it got way too long, so I spit it. So this picks up right where the previous chapter left off. 
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos. I appreciate all of them!

Steve stood back and watched as Peter and the Avengers sat around the table and read through the fan mail from the daycare center. He regretted the things he had said about the teen during the Avengers meeting.

He approached the table and took a seat next to the teen, to make the height difference less imposing.  The rest of the team quieted down, curious about what Steve was going to say. 

“Peter, I’m sorry I was so hard on you when we met. I misjudged things. I misjudged you.”

The boy looked up at him and said evenly, “That’s alright. I should probably apologize for stealing your shield.” 

Steve realized Peter was referring to the airport fight and wondered if the misunderstanding was intentional.  

“No, Kid, I don’t mean Germany. I mean the things I said the last time you were here at the compound. I could have voiced my concerns better. We got off on the wrong foot and I regret that.”

Peter studied the older hero for a moment.  “Do you still think I’m a child soldier?” Peter asked. 

Steve sighed. It was a question he had asked himself several times.  

“No,” he said finally. “You’re not a soldier. You’re more interested in looking out for the neighborhood than fighting big battles.  You just want to save lives. Soldiers save lives too, but you operate differently. I see that now.”

Tony added, “Also soldiers follow orders.  This one, not so much.” 

Peter rolled his eyes.  Steve chuckled then said, “You’re a kid crime fighter and that’s dangerous enough.  I would rather you weren't out there doing this. But I can see why Tony said you’re unstoppable.”

Peter nodded, trying to gauge the man’s sincerity. 

Steve continued, “Anyway, Peter, I hope we can start over. I’d like to get to know you and better understand what you do.  I hope we can move past what happened before.”

Peter considered a moment, then said matter of factly, “The first time I met Mr. Stark, he kidnapped me.”

The statement, combined with the sudden change of topic startled everyone.  

“I did not!” The billionaire protested. 

Peter smirked. “Oh, right. The  _ first _ time I met Mr. Stark, I was just a little kid and he saved me from a killer robot.” The teen paused, as if distracted by his own thoughts. Then the moment passed and he continued, “The  _ second _ time I met Mr. Stark, he kidnapped me.”

“Don’t say I kidnapped you!” Tony insisted. He really didn’t want to have this conversation again, especially since they had an audience this time. 

“Well, you took me out of the country without my legal guardian’s knowledge or permission.  I’m pretty sure that falls under the definition of kidnapping.” Peter told him patiently. 

There were distraught murmurs around the room. 

“If you want to get technical about it, Kid,  _ Happy _ kidnapped you. He’s the one who actually transported you out of the country.” Tony pointed out. 

“On your orders,” Peter countered. 

“Geez, that sounds even worse, like I’m a mob boss or something,” Tony complained. “You know, you agreed to go.  And it’s not like I smuggled you there in a suitcase. I put you on a private jet and gave you a new superhero suit.” 

“Sure, but that’s just the rich guy’s version of ‘Hey kid, get in the van and I’ll give you some candy’.”  Peter did his best impression of a shady kidnapper voice. 

“You would totally be the kid who gets in a stranger’s van for candy,” Tony muttered. 

Peter shrugged, “It would depend on what kind of candy.” 

Rhodes looked aghast. “Seriously, Tony! You took him to Germany without his guardian’s permission?”

Tony deflated. “Yeah, I did. But his guardian got over it.  She forgave me ...eventually.” 

Peter snorted a laugh at the understatement.  May had indeed been livid when she found out. Initially Tony was terrified that May would press charges against him for abduction or child endangerment. There had been a lot of yelling in the Parker’s apartment that day. But in the end they had worked things out. Now May and Tony had a legally binding agreement that, among other things,  spelled out where Tony could and could not take Peter. 

Peter turned back to Steve, who was a bit flabbergasted by the entire exchange.  “Do you think what Mr. Stark did was wrong? Taking me to Germany like that?”

Steve frowned. “Yes. He shouldn’t have taken you there at all. He shouldn’t have put you in that kind of a fight. Especially without your guardian’s permission.”

Peter nodded. “He was wrong, but he thought he was right. And that made him dangerous, huh?” 

Steve remembered Peter saying the same words at the airport, referring to the super soldier himself.  Steve didn’t know how to answer that.

Tony scowled.  He knew everything Peter had said was technically true, although he hated to admit it. He did still feel guilty about how he had handled the trip to Germany. And unfortunately, it wasn’t the only thing he had to feel guilty about in his dealing with the boy. 

“Kid, I know I've made some big mistakes…” Tony started. 

“Yeah, you have. But we’re working on them, right?” Peter interrupted as he gave his mentor a wide grin. Everyone could see that despite Peter’s accusations his expression was full of real affection and admiration.  

Tony’s heart warmed as he smiled back at his protege.  He knew from experience that Peter wasn’t going to let either of them completely forget Tony’s mistakes, but the Kid wasn’t one to hold a grudge about them either. It was one of the things he loved about the boy. 

Peter said to Steve, “Believing you’re right doesn’t always make you right. But sometimes doing the wrong thing can lead you to the right thing. The important part is you get to learn from what happens and move on. I can get past all this if you can.” 

For the first time, Steve saw that the boy’s eyes showed both innocence and certain hard-learned wisdom. 

Steve smiled at the young hero. “I’d like that, Peter.”

—————-

The team decided to have dinner together in their private dining room instead of the mess hall.  Everyone was in a good mood, so there was plenty of joking around and telling stories. 

Peter just took it all in.  When there was a lull in the conversation, he asked, “Where do superheroes come from?” 

Clint snorted.  “Oh geez, Tony, you haven’t explained the birds and the bees to him yet?” 

Tony sputtered a little. “Kid, you go to a science school. Don’t they cover that in biology or something?”

Peter rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking about  _ that. _ I’m not asking where babies come from. But nobody was born a superhero. Except Vision maybe? But Vision wasn’t actually  _ born. _  Uhm, no offense…” He looked at the android sheepishly. 

Vision smiled in his gentle way. “There’s no offense in the truth, Peter. You are right, I wasn’t born. I was created in a lab.” 

“What are you asking, Peter?” Tony asked, wanting to avoid getting dragged into a conversation about how Vision came to be. 

“Where do superheroes come from? And I don’t mean what makes people enhanced, because that’s not really the same thing. Why do some people become superheroes?” Peter asked.  

The question was both childish and profound. None of the adults had an immediate answer, as they all hoped someone else would speak up first. 

At their silence, Peter continued, “Like, do you think one of those kids from the daycare will be a superhero some day?” 

No one was expecting that question. “Why would that happen?” Natasha asked. 

Peter turned to Tony.  “It’s just… earlier I was thinking about how you saved my life when I was a little kid. You saved me from the Hammer Drone.  Remember?”

“Yes and it still gives me chills to know that you were that crazy, brave kid at the Expo.” Tony admitted. He had never forgotten that boy, but had been shocked several months ago when he had learned it was Peter. 

“Do you think maybe that’s how it gets passed down?” Peter asked thoughtfully. 

At Tony’s confused look, he explained, “I mean the superhero thing has to get passed down somehow, right? It doesn’t seem to happen by genetics.  So maybe it’s something else? Like maybe you save a kid and then later that kid becomes a superhero. Maybe I became Spider-Man because you saved me when I was little.”

Tony was absolutely floored by Peter’s line of reasoning. The other Avengers seemed stunned as well. 

“I’d hate to think that by shooting that Hammer Drone I put you on a path to becoming Spider-Man.” Tony told him. To be completely honest, the man was disturbed by the very idea. 

Steve spoke up. “I don’t think it works that way. Tony’s saved a lot of people - we all have - and they haven’t become superheroes.” 

Tony nodded in agreement. “I think it's more likely that the kind of child who attempts to fight a killer robot in a plastic mask would grow into the kind of teenager who seeks out an experimental spider.”

“I didn’t seek out an experimental spider,” Peter protested.  Tony gave him a stern look. Peter looked away guiltily. “Maybe just a little,” the boy admitted in a soft voice. 

Tony thought about Peter as the little boy in the toy Iron Man mask, as the child who had sent the Avengers fan mail. “Kid, I think you probably would have become a superhero even if you hadn’t gone to the Stark Expo and had the experience with the Hammer Drone.  Even if you hadn’t been bitten by that spider, you would have eventually found another way to be one. Maybe with some tech you built from dumpster diving. I think it’s just part of who you are.”

Rhodes joined the conversation. “I think sometimes ordinary people find themselves in extraordinary situations.  How they respond to that - the type of person they are - that’s what determines if they will become a superhero.  Or even a super villain.”

Peter considered that, “Are those the only choices: hero or villain?”

“No,” Steve said quickly. “There could be enhanced individuals out there living ordinary lives and we’ll never know. That’s not wrong. You don’t have to be a superhero at fifteen. You can wait until you’re older.”

Peter shook his head, “Not an option. The bad things don’t wait for kids to grow up; they can happen at any time. If you can stop the bad things from happening, but you don’t, then they happen because of you.”

Steve was taken aback by the boy’s answer.  He turned to Tony who gave him a look that seemed to say,  _ Do you see what I’m dealing with?  _

But Steve only sighed and nodded knowingly. He looked back at the boy, “Yeah, I get that.  I feel that too. I have ever since I was young. I guess that’s why I volunteered to take the serum. It was just something I had to do.”

Peter seemed to be somehow satisfied with the discussion. He turned his attention back to his dinner. Clint and Scott filled the ensuing quiet by sharing stories about their kids. 

Tony thought back to Peter’s statement that the unstoppable force and the immovable object were really the same thing, just observed from different perspectives. Peter and Steve had a lot of similar traits, maybe more than Tony had wanted to recognize.  

Tony got up from the table, with the excuse that he needed to make a quick business call.  He caught Steve’s eye just as he left the dining room. A minute later Steve joined him in the living room. 

“Tell me what you really think,” Tony said without preamble.  

“He’s a good kid,” Steve replied, looking the other man in the eye. “He’s not a soldier.  He’s not a weapon either.”

Tony nodded. “I know.  Romanov said she wasn’t sure what he is, but I think I’ve figured it out now.”

Steve gave him a questioning look. 

Tony continued, “He told me once that he wanted to be like me.  And I said I wanted him to be better than me. But now I think he has the potential to be better than both of us. He’s got my level of genius and technical skill, but your infuriating moral compass. If you and I can put aside our differences for his sake, then maybe…” he trailed off.  

Steve picked up the thought. “...Maybe together we can guide him into being the best damn hero ever?”

Tony gave a small smile. “Yeah.  Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Steve confirmed. 

Steve put his hand out and Tony looked at it a moment then took it in a warm handshake.  The super soldier pulled the billionaire into a brotherly hug, the first the two old friends had shared since the rogue Avengers had returned. 

As the two returned to the dining room, Peter looked up and gave them a knowing grin. Both men realized that Peter had heard their entire conversation.  

“Damn enhanced senses,” Tony cursed under his breath. It was too low for anyone who wasn’t a super soldier or a spider kid to hear. Peter laughed outright. It was a delightful, carefree sound that caused Tony and Steve to both laugh as well. 

The other Avengers looked startled, then smiled despite their confusion.  They didn’t know exactly what had happened, but they could all sense that their fractured family was finally coming together again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically just a couple of intense conversations and I had a hard time getting them to feel right to me. There’s a lot that’s implied without being explicitly said, but I feel like that’s how these types of conversations go. 
> 
> This ends the serious part of the story. The last chapter will be more lighthearted and have some fun Peter & Natasha interaction.


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter has a suprise for Natasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the idea for this part after writing about Peter teaching Natasha how to use the webshooters. I felt it didn’t really fit with the flow of the story, so I wasn’t going to write it out. Then in the comments, a couple people asked for more Peter and Natasha stuff. I decided to write it and include it as an epilogue. So this is just a bit of fun not related to the main themes of the story.

“What do you think?” Peter asked, a little anxiously.

Tony waved his hand at the holographic model, restarting the sequence. He watched it play through again. Then he looked at the complex equations on another display. He had already studied them; it had taken him quite some time to get through the complicated math Peter had laid out. At last, he looked at the boy. 

“It’s impressive. Really impressive,” Tony said finally, causing Peter to grin. 

“The math is good?” Peter asked, even though he knew the answer. 

“Your math is flawless,” Tony allowed the pride to show in his voice. “I even had FRIDAY check it and she couldn’t find any error.”

Peter’s grin suddenly faltered and he looked a little anxious. “Do you think she’ll go for it?” Peter asked quietly. 

Tony smiled in anticipation. “Oh, Yeah.  Nat’s gonna love this.” 

———————

Natasha was in the training gym, practicing shooting at targets with her webs. Peter had made her a special set of web shooters. They were slimmer than his own and they could attach to her Widow’s Bite bracelets to create her own version of taser webs. She hadn’t used the web shooters on a mission yet, and hadn’t decided if she would. She was still getting the hang of all the techniques, even though she had been working with them for weeks.  But she enjoyed the challenge of mastering them. 

She had just finished a series of targets when a familiar young voice called out, “You’ve gotten a lot better.”

Uncharacteristically, she was startled. It was a sign of how focused she had been on the exercise.  Still, she turned quickly and gave the teen a small smile. 

“I’m still having difficulties with pulling the target to me,” she admitted. 

Peter nodded. “Yeah, but FRIDAY showed me your performance record and you’re hitting the targets all the time now.” He sounded a little proud of her. “How are the taser webs working out?”

The spy laughed, “Oh they’re great. I got Clint real good the other day. He might start begging you for his own set of web shooters.”

Peter scoffed. “No way.”  He had recently let some of the other Avengers try the web shooters, but none of them had a knack for it. 

“I didn’t think you were coming to the compound this weekend,” Natasha commented. 

“My Academic Decathlon meet was canceled. The other team all came down with food poisoning and had to forfeit. I got here a few hours ago, but I’ve been in the lab with Mr. Stark,” Peter explained. 

“Of course,” Natasha teased. “It’s always Tony before the rest of us with you.” 

She noticed that the teen had a mischievous gleam in his eye and a smirk. “What’s going on?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. 

Peter laughed at her suspicious nature. “I have a surprise for you!” 

——————-

The whole team was gathered around the conference room table, watching intently. The holograph showed a perfect scale model of the parkour course.  A perfect scale model of Natasha was shown shooting webs and swinging across the room. 

“I don’t understand,” Sam spoke up after a few minutes. “What about all that stuff about doing the math for each swing?”

“I’ve already done the math,” Peter explained. FRIDAY projected the complicated equations on one wall of the room.  

Tony snickered.  “You should all feel free to check that math,” Tony said, knowing it was way beyond any of them. 

Peter launched into his explanation, talking directly to Natasha. “The parkour course is perfect for this. The room is long enough to give you a good feel for swinging, but not so long you’ll tire out.  We’ll set a straight path, so no turns are needed. It’s a controlled environment - FRIDAY can set the temperature, air pressure, and humidity to optimal conditions, so those are constants instead of variables. Mass is a constant as well…”

“Mass? You figured out my weight?” Natasha interrupted with a dangerous tone. A few of the men groaned.  

Peter blushed. “My aunt taught me to never ask a woman her weight. But FRIDAY keeps everyone’s stats on file. It was necessary for the equation,” he said quickly. 

Nat quirked an eyebrow at him and Peter realized she wasn’t really offended. 

The teen continued his explanation. “I calculated the position of the targets for the length of the course.” On the holographic model, red targets appeared at regular intervals. “You’ve been hitting the targets perfectly lately. The only variable you need to control is your timing and I’ll help you count through it over the comlink.”

“Sure,” Clint said, “she’s been hitting the targets from the ground. It’s gotta be different while swinging through the air. What if she misses? Or what if she gets the timing wrong? What if she falls?”

Peter knew those were valid concerns. Even though Clint had asked the questions, Peter continued to address his words to Natasha. “Vision and Wanda can spot you from below and stop any fall. I’ll keep pace with you on the ceiling and spot you from above.”

FRIDAY helpfully adjusted the holographic model to include miniature versions of Vision and Wanda on the floor as well as an upside down Spider-Man hanging from the ceiling.  

Tony chuckled, “Thanks, FRIDAY.”

“Won’t it be a huge strain on her arms and shoulders?” Scott asked.  

“It can be,” Peter admitted.  “Did you do the monkey bars when you were a kid?” he asked Natasha. 

The woman smiled gently. Her childhood hadn’t included playground equipment with whimsical names.  But telling that to the boy now would only dampen his enthusiasm. It was a conversation they could have another time - maybe.  In any case, she had been trained on similar apparatus. So she just nodded and said “Yes.”

“It’s like that, but a bit more intense.” Peter informed her. 

“That won’t be a problem,” Natasha assured him. After all, she did plenty of upper body work in her fights. 

Steve studied the model carefully, then turned and stared at the equations that were still projected on the wall. Looking at Tony, he asked, “You’ve double checked the math? It’s all good?”

The billionaire genius smiled. “Yes, I double checked it and FRIDAY triple checked it. The Kid’s math is perfect.”  

Steve considered for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. We can do this, if Natasha wants to.”

“Thanks, Captain, but I don’t need your permission,” Natasha pointed out with a mix of amusement and irritation. 

Peter looked at her hopefully. “Do you want to try it? It won’t be the same as how I do it, but it’s close.” 

Natasha grinned, “Oh, hell yes!”

——————

They had lunch in the mess hall and then a forced rest period.  Steve insisted they wait an hour after eating - like with swimming.  Natasha had rolled her eyes, but humored the super soldier. She knew he was only concerned for her safety in his own way. She was actually fine with the rest period, since it gave her and Peter time to practice counting out the timing of shooting the webs. 

Later in the afternoon The team gathered in the parkour course.  Although FRIDAY’s model had depicted them in their Avengers gear, everyone was wearing their regular clothes.  Natasha was in a form fitting, but comfortable, tee shirt with athletic shorts and running shoes. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail.  Peter was also in his workout shirt and shorts, but barefoot. 

On either end of the room, there was a platform that extended from the wall, like a diving board or the plank of a pirate ship. Since the room was several stories tall, the platforms were quite high up. Peter and Natasha stood on the one at the start of the course. Natasha would finish her swings by landing on the platform at the other end. FRIDAY set up the targets to Peter’s meticulous calculations. Steve made sure everyone’s comlinks were working properly.  Finally, they were ready. 

After reviewing a few details, Peter gave Natasha one more encouraging look, then leapt up to the ceiling. Over the comlink, he told her, “Okay, you’re going to need a running start off the platform. Shoot the first web as you jump and then we’ll count through the timing like we practiced earlier.”

The super spy backed up on the platform, almost to the wall. She took a deep breath, then ran off the platform without hesitation.  She shot the first web and hit the target perfectly. There was a rush of exhilaration as she went into freefall for a moment. Suddenly she felt the pull on her wrist, then the feeling moved up her arm to her shoulder as the web stopped her fall and she started swinging back up. Natasha’s heartbeat was thundering in her ears, but she concentrated on Peter’s voice as he counted the time. She shot the next web flawlessly and remembered to released the first web.  

She went into freefall again, and again felt the pull that signaled the start of the upswing. There was a rush of confusing sensations: the strain on her upper body, the blur of the course below her, the air rushing past her, the pounding of her heart, the slight flip-flop of her stomach, the rhythm of Peter’s steady voice as she got ready to fire another web.

“...three, four, five, shoot, release, two, three, four, five, shoot…” she heard the teen reciting the count in her ears. 

After the first few swings, the sensations stopped being so overwhelming and she could focus better on her surroundings. She could see her teammates below her on the floor and Peter running across the ceiling, keeping even pace with her. 

She could hear Clint asking over the comlink how she was doing and she suspected that it wasn’t the first time he asked. She barely got out a response of “I’m okay” before Steve reprimanded Clint to keep the line clear. After that the only thing she heard was Peter keeping the count. 

She loved the feel of alternating freefall and upswing. It was a truly unique experience, unlike anything she has done before. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Natasha was amazed that Peter did this all the time, even plotting his course on the fly while fighting criminals and cracking jokes. 

All too soon, she reached the end of the course and  it was over. 

Peter jumped down onto the landing platform and stuck his feet to it. A second later Natasha swung onto the platform. Peter caught her by the upper arms, absorbing the force of her momentum and getting her steady on her feet.  

Natasha was breathless. A few strands of hair had escaped her ponytail and stuck to the sides of her sweaty face. The carefully crafted expression she usually wore had fallen away. Instead, her face was alive with a mix of fear and delight.  She looked like a child who had ridden a roller coaster for the first time and was instantly hooked.

“Can we go again?” She asked before she had even caught her breath.

Peter laughed. “Later,” he assured her. “If you want to.  But after you’ve had a chance to rest and calm down.” Natasha nodded vigorously. 

The rest of the team had anxiously gathered below the platform. They were amazed by what they had witnessed, yelling up congratulations while Steve was calling for them to give a report.  Natasha smiled down at them and gave them a thumbs up. 

“Can I go next?” Scott yelled up, despite the fact that they all had comlinks. 

“Not gonna happen,” Peter said with a laugh. 

“Spiders only! No ants!” Natasha yelled back, her breath finally starting to even out. 

Peter muted his comlink and Natasha did as well.  “None of them could do it anyway,” Peter said quietly, “they can’t even hit the targets standing still.” Natasha laughed and agreed. 

“Thank you, Peter. That was amazing,” She gave him a warm hug. “And we’re gonna do that again!” 

Peter was thrilled by her enthusiasm. No one else appreciated how incredible it felt to swing on the webs. 

He grinned widely. “We’re Team Spider, right?”

“Team Spider, definitely.” Natasha smiled brightly. 

It was good to have a team. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading! I appreciate all that he encouragement and the thoughtful debates in the comments. 
> 
> This was originally going to be a one-shot. However, as I outlined the story I found that there were more ideas I wanted to explore. So this got a lot longer than I had planned. Again, thanks to everyone who stuck with it! 
> 
> I’ve started my next story, “The Wrong Child” , and I plan to have a new chapter for that one up soon. Check it out if you get a chance!


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